Cap-feeding mechanism



. www? A. L. EDMIARDSV ET AL Aug. 2l, 1923.

GAP FEEDING MEGHANISM Filed July 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet `1 INVENTORS Aug. 21, 1923. www? A. L. EDWARDS ET AF CAP FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 5, 1922I 2 Sheets-S1159?I 2 I lll, 'gym /l 0MM,

fed/MS Patented Aug. 2l, i923.

ALONZO L. EDWARDS AND JOHN A. MOG-INNIS, F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, SSIGNORS TO WHEELING STAMPING COMPANY, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA,

.A CORPORATION OF WEST ,VIRGINI- car-renibI-NG raEcHAmsM..

application ala July s, 19225. serial ne. 573,017.

. To all whom t may con/cern: f

Be it known that we, ALONZO L. EDWARDS and J onusl A. MoGINN1s,both citizens of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cap-Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a'full, clear, and exact description. v lo The present invention relates broadly to feeding hoppers, and more particularly to hoppers for feeding caps to tube forming or cap applying machines. y

The capsused on collapsible tubes, such l5 as ordinarily lled with creams, pastestand the like, are formed of comparatively soft material with the result that they are easilyA bent or damaged in handling. rllhis hasbeen a handicap in the automatic feeding of such caps. In addition to this, the caps being of' comparatively soft metal havlng a relatively high co'ehcient of friction makes it difficult to properly feed and distribute the same. Also, the shape of the caps is such that selecting means must be provided to insure the feeding thereof in the required position.

By the present invention, there is provided a comparativel simple and inexpensive con 3@ struction whic edectively feeds caps of this nature and always maintains a filled delivery chute, whereby a cap is always available when required.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown, for purposes o illustration only, a preferred embodiment of our cap feeding mechanism, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative only and do not dea fine the limits of our invention, as changes '4.o may be made in the construction and operation disclosed without departing from the spirit of our invention or scope of our broader claims.v

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa front elevation, partly broken away, of a feeding hopper and a portion of the delivery and overiiow chutes;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the construction illustrated in Figure 1, the partitions being omitted from the hopper, and

Figure 3 1s a detail sectional view. A feeding mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention may comprise a supporting bracketl 2- of any desired construction suitably secured to the machine to which the caps are to be delivered. Extending through the bracket 2, which is preferably so yconstructed as to provide an inclined upper face over at leastl a portion of its area, is a shaft 3 which is secured in any desired manner. within a central opening in the bottom plate 4 of the feed hopper. At is lower end the shaft 3 carries a bevel gear 5 meshing with a similar gear 6 on the longitudinally extending4 shaft 7.l The shaft 7 may be rotated in any desired manner to transmit rotation to the plate t by means of a pulley, or the like, 8.

The hoppery body 9 is preferablysecured to the periphery of the `plate 4 and has its -side walls converging inwardly toward the upper portion of the hopper body as illustrate-d. Surrounding the lower portion of the body 9 and underlying the edge ofthe plate t is an angular reinforcing member 10.

VVithin the body 9 and located adjacent the plate 4 is an overhanging shelf 11, this shelf providing a space 12 between its lower surface and the upper surface of the bottom plate d of sufficient width to receive a cap C when positioned with its enlarged finger engagin portion in a plane parallel to the bottom p ate.l rlhis shelf is edective for partially separating the /caps about to be delivered from the bulk of caps within the body 9, and prevents the bulk of caps from pressing a ainst the caps about to be delivered an retarding the movement thereof. Formed with-in the body 9 may be one or more radially or diametrically extending partitions 13 dividing the inte-rior of the body into a plurality of compartments of comparatively small area. By this means, where the partitions are provided, the caps during the rotation yof the hopper are prevented from tumbling a sufficient distance to damage the same.

Secured to the bracket 2 in such manner as to surround the angular member 10 is a guide 14. rlhroughout a portion of its length this guide may comprise top and bottom strips 15 enclosing an intermediate strip 16 as illustrated in Figure 2. Throughout the remainder of its length the guide 14 may be constructed substantially as shown in section in Figures 1 and 3 with the strips 15 of slightly greater width and the intermediate strip 16 spaced from the member 10. This provides a cap receiving channel 17 partially surroundin the feed hopper. The channel 17 at its discharge end communicates with a delivery chute 18 of any desired construction and of which the channel 17 forms an extension. ln passing to the delivery chute 18 the caps within the channel 17 must pass across the open end of the overflow chute 19. By reason of this construction, it will be apparent that when the delivery chute 18 is com letely filled, surplus caps delivered by the hopper may escape through the channel 19 and may be collected in a suitable receptacle for return to the hopper 9.

'For selectively feeding such capsas are in proper position from the hopper 9 to the channel 17, there may be provided a series of inverted T-shaped openings 20 extending through the wall 9 and the member 10. lf a cap is in the position b of Figure 2 lwithin the space 12, it may pass into one of the T-shaped openings during the rotation of the hopper. llf, however, a cap is in the position b of Figure 2, it cannot pass into one of the 'iT-shaped openings.

ln operation, the hopper is preferably rotated in the direction of the arrow of Figure 1 whereby the caps in the compartments which are successively brought into a position adjacent the lower end of the channel 17 will gravitate into the openings 20. Continued rotation of the hopper will successively bring the openings 20 into ka position beyond the end of the retaining member 21 whereby the caps will be free to slide by gravity from these o enings into the channel 17. Due to the inclination of this channel, the caps will slide by gravity downwardly through the same, the velocity acquired being Sufficient to initially cause the caps to jump across the receiving end of the chanlnel 19 and pass to the receiving end of the delivery chute 18. llf, however, the delivery chute is full, the caps will roll therefrom into the overflow channel 19. By this means there is always insured a sucient supply of caps within the delivery chute in proper position for use.

The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of a feed hopper having means for selectively and successively delivering caps as required.

We claim: Y

1. ln a cap feeding machine, a -rotary feed hopper having an inclined bottom and having its interior divided into a plurality of Separate cap receiving compartments to limit the movement of the caps during the rotation of the hopper, each of said compartments having a delivery opening, and a chute for receiving caps passing. through said openingsP as the latter are successively brought into registry with the mouth of Said incase? I chute during the rotation of said hopper, substantially as described.

2. lln a cap feeding machine, a feed hopper mounted for rotation as a whole and having its interior divided into a. plurality of separate cap receiving compartments to limit the movement of the caps during the rotation of the hopper, each of said compartments having a delivery opening, means cooperating with said openings to prevent the mass of caps in the compartments from pressing against the caps passing 4 through said openings, a delivery chute for receiving caps passing through said openings, and -means for lpreventing escape of the caps from said'openings untilthe latter register with the mouth of said chute, substantially as described.

3. ln a cap feeding machine, a feed hopper mounted for rotation as a whole and having its interior divided into a plurality of separate cap receiving compartments to limit the movement of the caps during the rotation of the hopper, each of said compartments having a delive opening, an overhanging shelf cooperatlng with said openings to prevent the mass of caps in the compartments from pressing against the caps passing through-said openings, a delivery chute for receiving caps passing through said openings, andv means for preventing escape of the caps from said openings until the latter register with the mouth of said chute, substantially as described.

d. lln a cap-feeding mechanism, a delivery chute, a feed channel communicating with said chute for delivering caps thereto, and an overflow chute communicating with lsaid channel and intercepting the normal path of travel of the caps thereto on the lower side thereof, substantially as described;

5. ln a cap feeding machine, an inclined feed hopper rotatable asa whole and having its interior divided into a plurality of separate cap receiving compartments to limit the movement of thev caps during the rotation of the hopper, substantially as described.

6. lln a cap feeding mechanism, a delivery chute having its upper end portion inclined to the horizontal suciently to enable caps delivered to said chute to freely slide by gravity throu h said inclined portion, and an overflow c ute in open communication with the lower side of said inclined portion at a point sufficiently removed from the mouth of said chute to enable the caps delivered to said chute to acquire sufficient velocity to normally jump across. the receiving end of said overflow chute, substantially as described.

7. ln a cap feeding machine, a feed hopper mounted for rotation as a whole and having a delivery opening for receiving a cap by gravity, a. delivery chute for receiving caps passing through said opening, 7and means for preventing the escape of a cap from said opening until the latter registers with the mouth of said chute, substantially as described.

8. In a cap feeding machine, a feed hopper mounted for rotation as a Whole. and comprising an inclined bottom and a substantially cylindrically shaped body having` a series of delivery openings therein adjacent said bottom for receiving caps by grav- 10 ity, a delivery chute engaging a substantial portion ofthe periphery of said body in the plane of said openings and open at the side thereof in Contact with said body, and means engagin the remainder of the peripheryl of said bo y in the plane of said openings for preventing the escapeof caps from the latter until they register with the open'side of said delivery chute, substantially as de? scribed.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto 20 set our hands. 

